Apparatus and method for crimping textile yarns



APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE YARNS Filed June 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS AUGUST' @0246 BY Lao/.46 f/oemrw y 19, 1956 A. KUNZLE ET AL 3,251,156

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE YARNS Filed June 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VENTO RS Aususr Awvzas upw/c; HOPI/A 77/ United States Patent 3,261,156 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE YARNS August Kunzle and Ludwig Horvath, Wattwil, St. Gall, Switzerland, assignors to Heberlein Patent Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 25, 1964, Ser. No. 377,911 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 25, 1963, 9,263/63 14 Claims. (Cl. 5734) This invention relates generally to the treatment of textile yarns and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for crimping yarns by false twisting without the use of a twisting device.

Apparatus and processes for the crimping of textile yarns are known according to which two or more yarns are taken from spools, are twisted together along a selected length, are subjected to heat fixation while in the twisted condition, and are then separated into individual yarns by being pulled apart in different directions and at the same speed. When yarn is treated in this way, it has been observed that certain forces are often set up which over-stress the yarn and cause it to break. Thus, for example, the respective yarns that are twisted together during heat fixation may suffer contraction to a different degree, or the fibers of one yarn may work into those of another, wherefore the point of separation of the yarns tends to deviate laterally as the yarns are pulled apart and breakage may occur.

Accordingly, we have conceived by our invention a method and apparatus by which we are able to overcome the foregoing difiiculties and disadvantages. Thus, our invention encompasses a method and apparatus for permanently crimping yarns according to which at least two yarns are twisted together along a selected length or distance and are fixed while in twisted condition and then separated by being drawn apart in different directions at the same speed and each under a tension that is regulated by varying the delivery speeds of the yarns whenever uneven tensions develop in the yarns. By thus regulating the tensions in the respective yarns, we are able to compensate instantly for uneven tensions, thus eliminating breakage due to that factor.

As an important feature of our invention, we provide driving and driven roller means for controlling the tension in the yarns and guide means for engaging the individually separated yarns, one of these means being shiftable in relation to the other in response to uneven tension in the yarns so that the roller means can change the delivery speed of at least one of the yarns to equalize the tension in the yarn.

As a further feature of our invention, we prefer to provide the roller means with yarn support surfaces and circumferential zones of reduced diameter such as grooves, for example, the guide means shifting the yarn of increased tension from the support surface into engagement with the zones of reduced diameter, so that the delivery speed of the yarn of increased tension is momentarily reduced in relation to the other yarns in order to equalize the tensions in the yarns.

The process and apparatus of the present invention are especially suited to the treatment, both of endless threads or bundles of filaments, as well as of staple fiber yarns of thermoplastic fiber material, especially those of polyamides such as polyhexamethyleneadipamide and condensates of epsilon-caprolactam or ll-aminoundecaroic acid, polyesters such as polyethyleneglycol terephthalate, vinyl base material such as polyacrylinitril, or polyolefines such as polypropylene, as well as of mixed yarns of thermoplastic fibers and non-thermoplastic natural fibers.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the Patented July 19, 1966 detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of the invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

A specific embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation in plan of one form of apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the roller portion of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a second form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a third form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a fourth form of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 6;=and

FIG. 8 is a detailed end view taken along the line 8-45 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, there are shown two yarn ends 10 and 11 emanating from delivery spools 12 and 14 and passing a snubbing device including two metal bars 15 over which the yarns pass, and a third bar 16 positioned between the bars 15 but below same and under which the yarns are threaded, all the bars being parallel. The yarns then pass vertical guide bars 17 and a yarn feeding device comprising rollers 19 and 20, one of which is driven. The yarns are mutually twisted together along a preselected length or distance 21 extending from the feeding device to a separation point 22 and along which the yarns are subjected to fixation, as by heat, for example, by means not shown. The yarn separation point 22 is positioned between closely spaced parallel bars or rollers 24 wherefore the separation point is fixed against lateral movement.

A pair of idler rollers 25 and 26 are mounted on similar vertical shafts 27 fixed on a base plate 29 which may also serve to support the spaced parallel bars or rollers 24. The base plate 29 also supports a vertical shaft 30 (FIG. 2) to which is pivotally attached a T-shaped lever arm 31 which supports at the end thereof a pair of spaced guide rollers 32. The lever arm 31 is normally positioned parallel to the axis of the length 21 of twisted yarns and it can swing about the shaft axis in the directions indicated by the arrows A-A' (FIG. 1).

Yarn delivery control means 33 are positioned adjacent the spaced guide rollers 32 and in the illustrated embodiment comprise a pair of yarn feed rollers 34 and 35 one of which, preferably the larger one 35, is driven for delivery of the yarn to a suitable winding or take-up device (not shown). The driven roller 35, as shown most clearly in FIG. 3, has with reference to its longitudinal supporting axis 36 a central yarn support'surface 37 and zones of reduced diameter, such as circumferential inclined grooves or slots 38 positioned on either side thereof.

After passing the bars or rollers 24, the yarns and 11 diverge in the direction of travel, each passing around one of the idler rollers 25, 26 respectively, these rollers being spaced further apart than the bars 24. The yarns then converge toward the spaced guide rollers 32 passing along the inner sides thereof and then, in normal operation, onto the yarn support surface 37 of the driven roller 35 from which the yarn is delivered to a suitable Winding or take-up device (not shown).

During operation if, for example, the withdrawal tension of the separated yarn 16 exceeds its normal value, then the lever arm 31 will pivot in the direction of the arrow A in such a fashion as to draw the advancing yarn 10 from the yarn support surface 37 of the roller 35 into one of the circumferential grooves 38 while the yarn 11 is moved laterally along the roller 35 but remains in contact with the support surface 37. Thus, yarn 10 when moved to one of the circumferential grooves 38 is momentarily released from the withdrawal tension created by the rollers 34 and 35 and as a result has its delivery speed considerably reduced relative to the yarn 11, thus effectuating a reduction of the increased tension in the yarn It). The yarn 11, all the while, remains subjected to the relatively constant withdrawal tension created. by the rollers 34 and 35, so that the lever arm 31 acting under the influence of the tension in yarn 11, substantially instantaneously upon relief of the increased tension in yarn 10 is caused to return to its normal operating position bringing therewith the yarn 10. Once the lever arm 31 is returned to its normal operating position both yarns 1t and 11 are again subjected to the withdrawal tension created by rollers 34 and 35. A similar sequence takes place if there is increased tension in yarn 11, the lever arm 31 then pivoting in the direction of the arrow A.

The modification shown in FIG. 4, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a base plate 41, a T-shaped. lever arm 42, idler rollers 43 and 44, guide rollers 45, 46, spaced parallel bars or rollers 47 and a yarn delivery control means 48. However, unlike the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, this embodiment has a single vertical shaft (not shown) which, at once, supports the spaced rollers 47 and the pivotable T-shaped lever arm 42. Further, the circumference of the driven roller 49 of the yarn delivery control means 48 is contoured so that there are yarn support surfaces 50, 51 positioned on either side of a circumferential groove or slot 52, formed by centrally converging surfaces extending from the support surfaces 50, 51.

The operation of this modification is as follows: The yarns 53 and 54 after leaving the separation-point 55, pass respectively around the idler rollers 43 and 44, cross each other, and pass respectively over the guide rollers 45 and 46 and onto the yarn support portions 50, 51 of the delivery speed control means 48 and eventually to a suitable winding or take-up device (not shown). For example, if during the course of operation, there is increased withdrawal tension in the yarn 53, the lever arm 42 will pivot in the direction of the arrow B thus drawing that portion of the yarn 53 bearing on the yarn support surface 50 into the circumferential groove 52 and out of contact with the driving roller (not shown) thereby relieving the withdrawal tension on the yarn 53 and changing its delivery speed in relation to the yarn 54. As in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, that portion of the yarn 54 bearing on the support surface 51 will at all times be subjected to withdrawal tension created by the driving and driven rollers so that the lever arm 42 upon relief of the increased tension in yarn 53, returns to its normal operating position where the yarns 53, 54 are again subject to withdrawal tension and delivered at the same speed. Again as in the previously described modification, a similar sequence takes place if increased tension develops in yarn 54.

A further modification shown in FIG. 5, eliminates the idler rollers used in the previously described modifications, the separated yarns extending directly to guide rollers 60 and 61 and then to the circumferential yarn support surfaces 62 and 63 positioned at the ends of the driven roller 64. Circumferential grooves 65 and 66 are positioned immediately adjacent the support surfaces so that the yarn delivery control means functions similarly to the previously described modifications to compensate for increased tension in one or the other of the separated yarns.

In a still further modification of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, the guide rollers and 71 are mounted on a carrier 72 slidably supported on a pair of rails 73, 74 that are mounted on a base plate 75 extending substantially parallel thereto. A yarn delivery speed control means 76 positioned adjacent the guide rollers 78 and 71 includes a driven roller 77, shaped in the form of two truncated cones joined at their base surfaces so that separate yarn support surfaces 78 and 759 are formed on the circumference thereof, and freely rotatable, conical, driving counter-rollers 8t 81 mounted such that each cooperates individually with the yarn support surfaces 78, 79. The yarns 82 and 83 are threaded around idler rollers and spaced guide rollers 70, 71 in a manner similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Now if, for example, the withdrawal tension of the separated yarn 83 exceeds its normal operating value,

the carrier 72 will momentarily move in the direction of the arrow C causing the yarn 83 to shift laterally on the support surface 79, thus contacting the support surface at a point on its circumference having a smaller roller diameter and lesser circumferential speed thus to impart to the yarn a reduced speed. At the same time yarn 32 is moved to a point on the support surface 89 having a larger diameter and greater circumferential speed so that yarn 83 is delivered more slowly and yarn 84 more rapidly, thus compensating for the difference between the tensions in yarns 83 and 84. A similar sequence of steps takes place if the increase in tension occurs in the yarn 82, the carrier 72 moving in the direction of arrow C.

It will be understood that surfaces 37 and 38 (FIGS. 1, 3) may, in fact, be defined by a gentle curve to approximate the shape of a barrel, in which case, of course, the configuration of the cooperating roller 34- will be adjusted accordingly. The same is true of the embodiment of the delivery control means of FIG. 6. The control means 48 ,of FIG. 4 may also be gently curved as may the surfaces 62, 65 and 63, 65 respectively of FIG. 5.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that we have conceived a method and apparatus useful in the crimping of textile yarns by which we are able reliably and substantially instantly to correct and regulate conditions of unbalanced tension in yarns after separation thereof from a condition of mutual twisting while the yarns are being linearly advanced by the application of controlled delivery forces to one or the other of the yarns when the tension thereof is varied from the normal.

We :believe that our novel method and apparatus for the crimping of textile yarns will now be understood, and that our invention will be fully appreciated by those persons skilled in the art.

We now claim:

1. In apparatus for permanently crimping textile yarns in which at least two yarns are twisted together along a selected distance and are fixed while in twisted condition and then separated by being drawn apart in different directions at the same speed; driving and driven roller means for controlling the tension in said yarns, guide means for engaging the individually separated yarns, one of said means being shiftable in relation to the other in response to uneven tension in the yarns whereby said roller means changes the delivery speed of at least one of the yarns to equalize the tension in said yarns.

2. In apparatus for permanently crimping textile yarns in which at least two yarns are twisted together along a selected distance and are fixed while in twisted condition and then separated by being drawn apart in different directions at the same speed; driving and driven roller means for controlling the tension in said yarns positioned subsequent to the point of separation of the yarns in their direction of travel, and guide means including a lever mounted at one end for swinging movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the separated yarns and carrying guide elements on its free end and on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis, each of said elements engaging one of the individual separated yarns, said lever swinging from its normal position in response to uneven tension in said yarns whereby said roller control means changes the delivery speed of at least one of said yarns to equalize the tension in said yarns.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2. wherein the axis of the twisted length of yarn and the pivot axis of said lever are disposed at 90, and the yarn guide elements are symmetrically arranged on each side of said lever.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the plane encompassing the separated yarns and the plane containing the carrier are mutually perpendicular, the yarn guide elements are symmetrically arranged at opposite ends of said carrier, and the yarns engage fixed guides positioned outwardly and in advance of said elements while advancing towards said elements.

5. In apparatus for permanently crimping textile yarns in which at least two yarns are twisted together along a selected distance and are fixed while in twisted condition and then separated by being drawn apart in different directions at the same speed; driving and driven roller means for controlling the tension in said yarns positioned subsequent to the point of separation of the yarns in their direction of travel, and guide means comprising a carrier mounted for slidable movement in a plane vertical to the plane of the separated yarns and carrying guide elements, each of said elements engaging one of the individual separated yarns, said carrier moving from its normal position in response to uneven tension in the yarns whereby said roller control means changes the delivery speed of at least one of said yarns to equalize the tension in said yarns.

6. In apparatus for permanently crimping textile yarns in which at least two yarns are twisted together along a selected distance and are fixed while in twisted condition and then separated by being drawn apart in different directions at the same speed; yarn delivery speed control means including driving and driven rollers, one of said rollers having circumferential yarn support surfaces and zones of reduced diameter adjacent thereto, said individual yarns being fed at the same delivery speed when contacting said supporting surfaces, and yarn guide means pivoting in relation to said control means in response to uneven tension in said yarns causing one of said yarns to enter one of said zones thereby momentarily changing the delivery speed of one yarn with respect to the other whereby the tensions in said yarns are equalized.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said one of said rollers has a single circumferential yarn support surface positioned centrally along the longitudinal axis of said roller and two circumferential grooves positioned adjacent said support surface on either side thereof.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said one of said rollers has two yarn support surfaces positioned at the extremities of the longitudinal axis of said roller and circumferential grooves positioned immediately adjacent each of said support surfaces.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said one of said rollers has two yarn support surfaces positioned at the extremities of the longitudinal axis of said rollers 6 and a single circumferential groove positioned between said support surfaces.

10. In apparatus for permanently crimping textile yarns in which at least two yarns are twisted together along a selected distance and are fixed while in twisted condition and then separated by being drawn apart in different directions at the same speed; yarn delivery speed control means including driving and driven rollers, one of said rollers having a circumferential yarn support surface of varying diameter enabling the supporting surface to subject the yarns to changing delivery speeds, and yarn guide means slidable in relation to said control means in response to uneven tension in said yarns causing said yarn to shift laterally on said support surface momentarily subjecting the yarn of increased tension to a lower delivery speed whereby the tension in said yarns are equalized.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the driving and driven rollers are substantially conical in form.

12. A method of permanently crimping textile yarns wherein at least two yarns are temporarily twisted together along a selected distance, are subjected to fixation while twisted, and are drawn apart in different directions under substantially equal tension, characterized by sensing the unbalance in the yarns, pivotably moving the yarns from their normal feeding position in response to the unbalance and in relation to yarn speed delivery control means, varying the delivery speed of at least one of the yarns to eliminate the unbalance, returning the yarn to their normal running position when the yarn tensions are equalized.

13. A method of permanently crimping textile yarns wherein at least two yarns are temporarily twisted together along a selected distance, are subjected to fixation while twisted, and are drawn apart in different directions under substantially equal tension, characterized by sensing the unbalance in the yarns, shifting the yarns from their normal feeding position in response to the unbalance and in relation to tension control means so that the delivery speeds of the yarns can be changed, varying the delivery speed of at least one of the yarns to eliminate the unbalance, returning the yarns to their normal running position when the yarn tensions are equalized.

14. A method of permanently crimping textile yarns wherein at least two yarns are temporarily twisted together along a selected distance, are subjected to fixation while twisted, and are drawn apart in different directions under substantially equal tension, characterized by sensing the unbalance in the yarns, slidably moving the yarns from their normal feeding position in response to the unbalance and in relation to yarn speed delivery control means, varying the delivery speed of the yarns to eliminate the unbalance, returning the yarns to their normal running position when the yarn tensions are equalized.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,881,504 4/1959 Billion 28-72 2,987,869 6/1961 Klein 57-34 3,091,908 6/ 1963 Carruthers 57-34 3,192,697 7/1965 Carruthers 57--34 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,197,715 6/1959 France. 1,251,346 12/1960 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR PERMANENTLY CRIMPING TEXTILE YARNS IN WHICH AT LEAST TWO YARNS ARE TWISTED TOGETHER ALONG A SELECTED DISTANCE AND ARE FIXED WHILE IN TWISTED CONDITION AND THEN SEPARATED BY BEING DRAWN APART IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME SPEED; DRIVING AND DRIVEN ROLLER MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE TENSION IN SAID YARNS, GUIDE MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE INDIVIDUALLY SEPARATED YARNS, ONE OF SAID MEANS BEING SHIFTABLE IN RELATION TO THE OTHER IN RESPONSE TO UNEVEN TENSION IN THE YARNS WHEREBY SAID ROLLER MEANS CHANGES THE DELIVERYSPEED OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE YARNS TO EQUALIZE THE TENSION IN SAID YARNS. 